Car-seat



G. W. DRYER.

CAR SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I9, 1920.

1,389,130. y PatentedAug. 30,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.ffy-1,

m) [LIZ s. w. DRYER.

CAR SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I9', 1920.

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNI'IED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. DRYER, OF GARDINER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE 'ASSIGNMENTS',V

TO AMERICAN' MOTOR BODY COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATION' 0F DELAWARE. v

, CAR-SEAT.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Allg. 30, 1921.

Application filed January 19, 1920. Serial No. 352,342.

To all w wm t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. DRYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gardiner, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented certain new andy useful Improvements in Car-Seats, of which,

the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway car seats', and my object isv to provide a seat ofl a broadly new type which willbe light of weight, by which maximum cushion space will'be secured for a given over-all length and in which a minimum number of parts will be used. An additional object is to provide a` construction in whichrall of the space underneath` the seat is entirely free and unimpeded by mechanism or `Vframe work. y I attain these objects byy a construction in which supports are provided,.with a pair of members ,mountedl on the supports andY adapted to'be positioned, one as a seat and the other as aback at one side of the vconstruction, from which positions the mem-` bers may be movedf together, so that the back member becomes tlieseat and the seat member becomes theV back at the other side of the construction. This result may be achieved by the provision ofV two similar members, each of which is adapted toserve either as a seat `or as a back, theseinembers being pivoted at the front and back of the construction. Connections are provided between these members such that when one. of themembers rests in seating position the other one will extend upwardly from its the construction, whichy links are pivotally of the seatr and backV members at points` connected at their ends-to the end surfaces which are not far distant from the pivotal connections between the said members and their supports. v The pivotal connections between these links and the two members re- When it is desired to reverse the seatferred to are so chosen as to serve two purposes. One of these is to enable, the downward pivotal movementof the back member into the seating position to cause. the other member' to rise from the seating position to the back position on the other sideof the construction. This effect takes place becauselof the fact that the pivotal connection between the link land the member in seating position is somewhat above the pivotal connection of the member in seating position withv its supports, so that a leverage is exerted on this member by the link when the other member swingsV downwardly into seating position. The other function performed by the links is to prevent either member, when in its position to serve as a back, from swingingy rearwardly beyond its .correct back position.

'When either member is in its position.y to

serve yas a back, thev pivotal connection of the levers with this member is some distance above the pivotal'` support of the member, A movement of the member in its back posi-` tionkr toward a position still further in the rear is, prevented by direct pull through they In order that a clearer understanding` of my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to theeaceompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrati'ngy one embodiment of myv invention. In the drawings, Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a construction embodying myV invention; Figs. 2 andv 3 are sections taken vrespectively on lines 2 2 and 3-3 of Figi '1;V Fig. .4t is front elevation. of the construction; andFig. 5N is an eiilarfred detail 'of `construction shown partly in frontelevation andy partly in section.y

Referring to the drawings, the structure is illustrated as supportedV from a pedestal l at the aisle end and a support atthe wall end, which is indicated at2; Angularmemf bers 3, 3, are mounted on pedestal 1 and ioo ` heads 11.

support 2 to serve as cover plates. Angular members 4, 4, are mounted on the bottom iianges of members 3, 3, members 4, 4, having horizontal flanges 4 extending inwardly of the structure and vertical extensions 4g of the vertical portions of members 4, eX- tending above the inwardly extending flanges 4. Flanges 4 have screws 5 `extending therethrough, these screws being provided with rounded heads 6 on the upper surface of flanges 4. These rounded heads 6, preferablyfour in number, one each at the front andrear of the aisle and wall ends of the construction, are adapted to serve as seat supports. The various supporting members referred to are preferably formed of steel. k-

The seat-and back are formed by a pair of members 7 and 8, which maybe substantially duplicates of each other and are 'each adapted to serve either as seat or back cush- Metal blocks, preferably iron cast ions. ings, 9, 9, are set` into the end surfaces of seat and back members 7 and 8 to serve as pivot supports. i

The members 9 at the left hand end of the seat cushion, referring to Fig. 1,`are prothe vertical extensions 42 at the right hand side of the structure, referring to Fig. 1. The cover plate 3 may be secured to the outer end of bosses 9 at each end of the structure by means of screws 10 and The blocks 9 are also provided with bosses 92 on which the links 12one at each end of the structure, are pivoted.` Screws 13, having heads 14, may be extended through bosses into the members 7 and 8, washers 15 being mounted between bosses 9L and heads 14.

The links 12 are of such a length, and the points of their pivotal connections with members 7 and 8 are so chosen, that when member 7 rests upon supports 6 to act as a seat cushion, member 8 is in correct position to act as a back cushion, and when member 8 rests on supports 6 to act as a seat cushion, member 7 will be in the correct position to act as a back cushion at the opposite side of the structure, this position being indicated in dot and dash at the left of Fig. l.

The bosses 9 of blocks 9 are provided `with portions 93 of enlarged diameter, ad-

jacent tothe end surfaces of members 7 and S. Links 12 are provided on their lower surfaces with curved recesses 16 adjacent theends of the links. These recesses are so positioned that the one adjacent the right hand end of the link l2, referring to Fig. 1, will seat itself upon the boss 93 of the adjacent block 9 when member 8 is in position to act as a back cushion, and recesses 16` adjacent the left hand end of the link will seat themselves upon the boss 93 at the left hand end of the structure when the member 7 is in position to act as a back cushion.

Referring to the position of the parts indicated in Fig. l, it will be noted that the pivotal connection between link l2' and seat member 7 is located somewhat above the -pivotal connection between the member 7 and supports 42.f Accordingly, `when the back cushion 8 is swung downwardly to the left into position to act as a seat cushion,

erably given the form of a compound curve as' illustrated, so as to keep the samelargely hidden behind the Vend supports. -It will also be noted that the member which acts as yback cushion, such as the member 8,is .pre-

vented from moving rearwardly from its correct position bythe links l2. Any force tending to move member 8 to the rear from its correct position asa back cushion merely acts through thelinks 12 and the pivotal connections between the linksand the mem-l ber 7 to transmit the force to the iron pivot blocks 9 of mem-ber`7 or to force "member 7 more firmly against its seat supports 6. Movement of the rback cushion 8 in the opposite direction, to reversethe seating'direc tion of the seat, is, of course, impossible when theseat is occupied. j

The intermediate positions of members7 and 8 on the reversal `of the seating direction of the seat are indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, in which it will be noted that the leverage of links 12 is so chosen as' to cause the seat cushion to rise with suiiicient rapid ity to cause the same to clear the descending back cushion.

The particular form of seat and back.

of each member shall vbe adapted to act as a 4 seat cushion and the other side as aback cushion. Members 7 and 8` may be, for exf 4 ample7 of wooden slat construction, double panel, or they may be otherwise formed and shaped with suitable upholstery, if desired.

It will be noted that all o f the space uni derneath the seat is absolutely unencumbered j from the inside of pedestal 1 to the wall of the car. It is, therefore, possibleto.mount"V connecting rails for the support of heaters between the. aisle and wall plates, and to mount a foot rail between the pedestal and the wall of the car, if desired. With the construction illustrated the vertical movementof links 12 islcomparativelyl slight', as`

isindicated in Fig. 1. It-will, be notedthat the lconstruction; described makes an extremelylight structure .possible with a very slight space krequirement.for mechanism at each end of the seatcushion, so as :tov provide a maximum; cushionfspace for a given over-all' length.r

Vhat I claim is 1. In a car seat, the combination,- of'su ports, a pair of similar members pivotal y secured to -said supports at opposite sides thereof and each adapted to be positioned as a seat when the other is positioned as a back, and means independent of said supports for causing the movement of one memer from seat to back position automatically in consequence of the movement ofthe other from back to seat position due to pressure applied thereto in a generally horizontal plane.

2. Ina car seat, the combination of supports, a pair of similar members pivotally secured to said supports at opposite sides thereof and each adapted to be positioned as a seat when the other is positioned asa back, and means independent of said supports for causing the movement of one member from seat to back position automatically in consequence of the movement of the other from back to seat position due to pressure applied to either member.

3. In a car seat, the combination of supports, a pair of similar members pivotally secured to said supports at opposite sides thereof, eachadapted to serve as either back or seat, and link connections independent of said supports and extending directly between said members, the organizationbeing such that when either member is positioned as a seat the other member will be positioned as a back, and when the latter is, due to pressure applied thereto, swung downwardl to act as a seat, the former will automati- Vc ally be swung upwardly on the opposite side to act as a back, the pivotal connections between said links and members -being so located that downward movement of a member from back position causes said link connections to push upon said other member at a point above the pivotal connection thereof with said supports. v

4. In a car seat, the combination of supports, a pair of similar members pivotally secured to said supports at opposite sides thereof, each adapted to serve as either back or seat, and links connecting said members, each link being pivoted at its ends to said members at points which are above the pivotal connections between said members and supports inv all positions of said members, said link pivots being so located that when one member is positioned as a seat the other will be positioned as a back, Vand when the ylatter is swung downward to act as a seat leverage willbe exerted through said'k links onthe/former toswing the same upwardly on thefopposite sidegtoact as a bac 5. In a car seat, the combination of end i supports, members, eachy adapted to .serve as seat vorvback, pivotedzthereto at the front and rear, toswing between the same, seat supports supports, having openings therein, members,`

each adapted to serve as seat or back, blocks. secured to the ends of said members, having bosses thereon, mounted in said openings to serve as pivots at the front and rear, between which said members are adapted to swing, said blocks having a second set of bosses, links at the opposite ends of the seat, each link being pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said second bosses of said two members and seat supports, said second bosses being above said first bosses in all positions of said members, and so located that lwhen, one member is positioned as a seat the other will be positioned as a back, and when the latter is swung downwardly to act as a seat, leverage will be exerted through said links on the former to swing the same upwardly on the opposite side to act asa back.

7. In a car seat, the combination of end supportshaving openings therein, members,

each adapted to serve as seat or back, blocks secured to the endsof said members, havingv bosses thereon, mounted in said openings to Y .serve as pivots at the front and rear, between whichV said membersare adapted to swing,

said bosses having enlarged portions adjacent the end surfaces of said members, said blocks having a second set of bosses, links at the opposite ends of the seat, each link being pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said sec-V ond bosses of said two members, and seat supports, said second bosses being above said rst bosses in all vpositions of said members, and so located that when one member is positioned as a seat the other will be positioned wardly to act as a seat leverage will be Vexerted through said links on the former to swing ythe same upwardly on the opposite side to act as a back, said links having curved recesses on their lower surfaces adjacent their ends, so located that when one of said members is in back position, said recesses adjacent Y thereto will seat on said enlarged portions of said first named bosses.

,Y as a back, and when the latter is swung down- 8. ln. a oar seat,the combination of end supports having inwardly extending flanges 4and Vertical extensions above the Samet seat supports on said langes,`cover plates outside said end supports,'members', each adapted to serve as seat or back, pivoted to said vertical extensions at front and rear, to swing between the same, and links connected at their ends to the ends of said members,'a.t points above the pivotal Connections vbetween vsaid members and supports, said points being so 1,389,13rrA located thatwhen either member is in seating position the other member will be in position to serve as a back, said members being formed with compound curves so as to be largely hid- A 15 den by said cover plates.- This specication signed and witnessed this 9th day of January, 1920.v

GEORGE W. DRYER.

WrrNEssEs: v

GEORGE CURRIE, CASSIEW. SEARS. 

